Maggie wrote how her ferts are turning up their cold, wet little noses at her for leaving. Been there, done that, getting the same ol' treatment from mine at the moment. Apparently they heard about how ENGLISH ferrets get to escape, go feral, and elope with the polecats, and they're all jealous now. Potpie pooped in not one, not TWO, but THREE, yes, folks, THREE places other than her litterbox to show her disapproval. And this is FOUR days after I returned. It's amazing that such a little body (well, okay, she's rather pudgy at the moment) can hold such a biiiiig grudge. Like, for example, the past few days. She doesn't really like my housemates, since Brett never looks down when he walks and therefore ends up punting her around the room whenever they're both out at the same time (yes, we keep Brett locked up in a cage too) and Neil is the surrogate mom whose duty it is to prevent Potpie from burrowing in the couch ("Rabbits! RAAABBBIIIIIIITTTTS!") when I'm out of the room. Well, since I've gotten back, Potpie has bitten Neil, Brett, AND the kitten several times - basically, any chance she gets. And after she bites them? She runs over to me and curls up in my lap. After she poops on the stairwell. Sheesh. I took her with me when I walked to a downtown market to buy coffee this weekend, and got stopped by several very nice people who were all very cool about meeting a ferret. ie, no "What kind of rat is that?" questions. One guy was pretty thrilled to be able to talk to me about what owning a ferret is like, as he wants one, but I must admit that if he'd managed to ask me two days later I'd have given him a much ruder answer. Like the one I gave another customer at the vet's today: If you don't want a three-year-old (human) in your house, you shouldn't own a ferret, as they're brats. Not that I'm short of patience with them right now, or anything. :) But if Potpie attempts to put one more hole into my housemates, she's going to be next winter's earmuffs. Melissa oh, okay, not really. ___ Melissa Litwicki __ [log in to unmask] ___ By the whole newsgroup devoted tennis showing it after scarfing fork and laughters [Posted in FML issue 1949]